


Bright Eyes and Bullet Wounds

by lovelyavengers (fandomsandxfiles)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomsandxfiles/pseuds/lovelyavengers
Summary: On a mission gone south, you got on the wrong side of an enemy's gun. But you don't think you'll mind recovery too much if you get to spend it with Bucky.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Kudos: 88
Collections: Marvel xReader Fanfiction Fest 2020





	Bright Eyes and Bullet Wounds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buckybarney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybarney/gifts).



> this is an extra gift for you! hope you enjoy!
> 
> *flashbacks are in italics*

What does getting shot feel like? 

For the first few moments, you didn't feel anything. 

Then the pain was excruciating, and the world went fuzzy. Your vision went blurry, and you fought to keep consciousness. This was a mission you couldn't afford to fail. 

You hoped with all you had that the agent who shot you was the last one in the building, and you were able to rely on adrenaline for a few moments to shoot him before the pain started to kick in. But the building was rigged to blow up in ten minutes, and you had to find a way to stop it. You tapped your earpiece, checking if it still worked. "Hello?" 

"Y/N?" Steve responded. "Where are you?" 

"I'm in the basement of the building," you said, heart racing. "But everyone needs to get out and back to the jet immediately!" 

"Why?" Tony's voice cut in. "What's wrong?" 

"There's a bomb set to go off, you need to make sure the team is out of the building!" 

"What about you?" Bucky cut in worriedly. 

The bullet hole in your leg started to hurt more, but you ignored it. You didn't think that you were going to make it out of the building, but you weren't about to tell the rest of the team that, or they'd never leave in time. "I'm going to the jet too," you lied through your teeth. "Just make sure everyone gets there, okay?" 

After Tony and Steve agreed make sure everyone on the team got to the jet, you turned off your comm. Searching around the room, you found a towel and tied it around your leg to try and stop the bleeding. Then it was time to deal with the bomb. 

The timer kept ticking as you prodded around, hoping to find a magic switch that turned the whole thing off. As the minutes ticked by, your hope of disarming the bomb started to disappear. You were starting to come to terms with the fact that this was how it was going to end for you, alone in the basement of a HYDRA facility with a bullet hole in your leg, and nothing but the sounds of the timer ticking to zero to accompany you at the end of your life. You kept trying though, until you felt a hand on your shoulder. 

You turned around as fast as you could and got ready to fight whoever it was. Shocked, you were met with Bucky's face instead. "Bucky you need to get out of here!" you said. "The building is going to blow!" 

"That's also exactly why you need to get out of here!" he shouted at you. 

"Bucky I'm not going to make it!" you said, pointing at the towel wrapped around your leg that was slowly getting more red in color. "You need to go back to the jet!" You turned back towards the wall, but instead felt yourself being lifted in the air. "Bucky!" you screeched. 

"I'm not leaving here without you!" he yelled back as he threw you over his shoulder and started to run back towards the jet. You weren't sure that you would make it to safety before the building blew, but you weren't going to argue with him. In the first bit of good luck you've had all day, Bucky stepped out of the building with it still intact, and the jet swooped down to collect you two. Moments after the bay doors closed, you felt the explosion rock the ground and Tony took off right away. 

Bucky placed you down on the jet's bench, and immediately gave you a stern look. "Do you mind telling me what on earth you were thinking with a stunt like that?" He said loudly. "You should have told us that you'd been shot! We would have come get you!" 

"You were shot?" Steve asked, sitting down next to you on the bench. "You told us that you were on your way to the jet!"

"I'll be fine," you grumbled, but you knew that was a lie. The blood loss was starting to affect you, and you were feeling a little woozy. 

Bucky could sense that you were lying. "Cut the shit Y/N," he snapped. "I still can't believe you were just going to let yourself blow up like that? You're not Steve, so drop the self-sacrificing act and just ask us for help." 

"We're here for you Y/N, this is a team," Steve nodded in agreement. Then he registered what Bucky said. "What do you mean 'you're not Steve?'" he said, offended. 

"He means that you have a bad track record of being a self-sacrificing asshole!" Tony helpfully shouted from across the jet. Bucky nodded in agreement and looked at Steve, who didn't offer anything in response. 

Bucky turned back to you, taking your hand. "You just have to make it back to the compound, Tony contacted Helen Cho and she'll be there when we arrive." 

Your eyes started to droop. "Okay," you breathed. 

Bucky's metal arm moved to cup your chin, the coldness of the metal shocked you slightly. "No, sweetheart, you have to stay awake, okay? Just stay awake for me." 

But even Bucky's sweet words couldn't keep your eyes open, and you slowly faded out of consciousnesses. 

***

When the jet landed, Bucky gently picked you up bridal style and immediately headed to the medical bay, not stopping for anything. He was still covered in dirt and grime from the mission, but he refused to go clean himself up until he knew you were going to be okay. Helen Cho finally kicked him out because he wouldn't stop hovering, and it was only then that he returned to his room and took a shower. 

He was finally allowed back in the room with Y/N after waiting outside the door for over a half hour, and he practically jumped up to go in. Y/N wasn't conscious yet, and the various machines she was hooked up to beeped around her. "She's going to be waking up soon," Helen said. She must have seen the way that Bucky's face fell when he walked in the room and saw her still unconscious. "We put her on some pain medication to fix the wound in her leg, it should be wearing off soon."

Bucky nodded in response. "What's going to happen when she wakes up?" he asked hoarsely. "Will she be okay?" 

"She'll be fine," Helen assured him. "She'll have to stay in bed for some time until her leg heals, and she'll have to go through physical therapy for a little bit to regain some muscle, but I don't think there is going to be any lasting damage."

"Stay in bed? Y/N?" Tony’s voice entered the conversation. Bucky turned around to see him and Steve standing in the doorway and looking in. "That's going to be a tough sell." 

"Well, then someone needs to watch her and make sure she doesn't overexert herself," Helen said, turning to look at Tony. "The best treatment for her right now is going to be rest, whether she likes it or not."

"I'll watch her," Bucky blurted out. "Make sure she's not doing too much." 

"Then it's settled," Tony said, clapping his hands and turning to leave. 

Helen gave Bucky and Steve some other information about Y/N and what would need to happen when she wakes up before she left. After the door shut, Steve gave Bucky a knowing look. 

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Oh not now," he scoffed. "I'm really not in the mood for this. And besides, she could hear you." 

"Good, then maybe we wouldn't have to wait for you to profess your love to her and you could finally get together." 

"Steve!" Bucky hissed. "I've told you this before! I'm not in love with Y/N! We are just friends!" 

"You may be able to fool everyone else Buck, but we've known each other since we were kids. You can't lie to me." 

***

You woke up to hear a steady beeping. Your memory was fuzzy, and you weren't quite sure where you were. Lifting your head up slightly, you realized you were in the medical bay of the compound, and you could see Bucky sitting in a chair across from your bed, dozing off. You didn't want to wake him, but at the same time you needed to know what happened, and how long you had been unconscious for. "Bucky," you whispered gently. "Bucky, wake up." 

His eyes shot open and he practically jumped out of the chair when he saw you awake. "Y/N!" he said, moving towards you to stand next to your bed, leaning slightly towards you. "How are you feeling?" 

"What happened to me?" you asked.

"You did something incredibly stupid," Bucky scolded. "And you didn't answer my question." 

"I feel like I've been shot," you deadpanned. "Because I'm pretty sure I was."

Bucky cracked a smile. "I'd appreciate a little more detail than that, but thank you. At least you kind of remember what happened." 

Before you could respond, the door to the room opened and Steve stepped in. Bucky pulled away from you a little bit, but not quick enough that Steve didn't notice. "Hey Y/N, how are you feeling?" Steve asked. 

"Tired," you said. "Even though I just woke up." 

"That's understandable," Steve said. "Helen said that once you woke up you would be tired, and she gave us pain medicine for you." 

You started to sit up completely, but Bucky stopped you. "You're going to have to stay on bed rest only for a while," he said gently. 

You groaned. "Fine," you huffed. "But for the record, know that I'm only agreeing to this because I'm too tired to argue with you." 

Bucky smiled at you. "Oh I know, don't worry." 

Once you took the pain medicine Helen had left for you, you drifted back off to sleep almost instantly. 

***

It was a slow recovery for you. You spent days in the medical bay, doing nothing but laying in bed. Bucky kept you company the whole time, but you weren't sure if he was there because he wanted to spend time with you or because he had been assigned to make sure you didn't try to escape. After what felt like forever, you were finally allowed to move back into your own room. You refused the offer of a wheelchair to get there, but Bucky insisted that he help you. 

You made it about halfway there before your muscles started to hurt. Bucky noticed immediately, and placed your arm around him to support you. 

By the time you actually made it to your bedroom, you wanted to pass out. Bucky had to practically pick you up and help you get into bed, which was embarrassing enough. "Now get some rest, okay Y/N?" he said. 

You rolled your eyes. "But I'm not tired, _mom._ It's the middle of the afternoon _._ " 

Bucky laughed in response. "Are you kidding? You can barely keep your eyes open!" 

"But I don't want to sleep right now," you said. "At least stay and watch a movie with me?" 

After thinking about your proposition, Bucky finally agreed. You asked FRIDAY to play a movie, and shifted over slightly so that Bucky could sit next to you on your bed. 

The movie started, and to no surprise, you were already nodding off. It got to a point that halfway through Bucky just turned it off. "You need to sleep Y/N," he said. "You're falling asleep." 

"No 'm not," you muttered, sleepily. 

Bucky just rolled his eyes and started to get up and leave. "Wait Bucky," you said in a small voice. "Stay?" 

Bucky didn't have the heart to refuse, so he slipped back next to you in bed. You tiredly threw the blanket you were using over him too, which he accepted thankfully. After fixing it so that both of you were covered, he leaned over to check on you, only to find you already fast asleep and snoring quietly. Smiling to himself, he let sleep overtake him as well, despite the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon.

Steve was the one that walked into your room around dinnertime to ask if you wanted to eat, and was greeted with the sight of both you and Bucky fast asleep. Bucky had one arm reached out towards you protectively, and you had turned to face him in your sleep. Smiling to himself, Steve slowly back out of the room and quietly shut the door. He made a mental note to tease Bucky about that later. 

***

When you woke up the next morning, Bucky wasn't there. Your heart fell a little bit when you woke up to an empty bed, but before you could get up, the door opened. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, holding a tray of food.

"Nothing," you said. 

"You know you're not allowed out of bed," Bucky said, raising his eyebrows. 

You rolled your eyes at him as he gave you the tray, laden with all your favorite breakfast foods. You were both silent as you started to eat. After you were finished, he took your tray back down to the kitchen and returned, only to find you trying to get out of bed again. "Really Y/N?" he asked. 

"Bucky," you whined. "I'm fine." 

"No, you're not Y/N," he said. "You need some rest." 

You huffed in response, but situated yourself back in bed so that you were sitting up. "You don't have to be here all the time if you don't want to be Bucky," you said softly. "I don't want to be a burden." 

Bucky's face softened and he walked over to your bed. "You're not a burden Y/N," he said as he sat down next to you on the bed. "I'm here because as much as you don't want to admit it, you need some help right now. And I want to help you, because I care about you. You were one of the only people to not treat me any differently when I first joined the team, so this is my way of returning that favor." 

"Bucky, you don't have to return any 'favor,'" you said quietly. 

"You may have done something stupid on this mission Y/N, but you thought you were doing it to save us. And even though your logic was shaky, you wanted us to get home safe, even if it cost you your life." 

"You're the one who saved me, if I remember correctly." 

"You caused me so much stress, you know that?" Bucky asked. "Please don't ever do that again. I don't think I could live with myself if you didn't make it."

"Bucky-" you started to say, but he cut you off. 

"I want to take care of you Y/N," he said. "Because you mean the world to me." 

Something in his words flipped a switch in your brain, and you found yourself leaning in to kiss him. When your lips finally met, it was like fireworks. He moved slightly towards you, and you smiled into the kiss. When you broke apart, he took your hand. No words were spoken, because no words were needed. Both you and Bucky knew, knew of your love for each other, and that was never going to change. 

_\- the end -_


End file.
